United States

Real estate

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is recommended for ‚Äėlarge, complex transactions‚Äô and is regularly engaged by REITs and investment funds such as SL Green Realty and Oaktree Capital. Co-chair Harris Freidus as well as Peter Fisch, Mitchell Berg and Salvatore Gogliormella were all active on behalf of NorthStar Realty Finance, including advising said client on its joint venture with Griffin-American Healthcare REIT III and the ensuing $1.12bn acquisition of Trilogy Investors. In another significant piece of work, Freidus represented CIM Group in the equity and debt financing of Jack London Square, an office/retail development in Oakland. Other names to note in the team are newly appointed chair emeritus Steven Simkin, who is for one client, ‚Äėthe best real estate lawyer in New York‚Äô, and Meredith Kane, who co-chairs the practice with Freidus. Kane‚Äôs caseload extends to acting for health system operators, including Northwell Health, as well as public corporations such as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which she is representing in a number of major New York projects, including One Vanderbilt and Hudson Yards. All named attorneys are based in New York.

United States: Antitrust

Cartel

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP‚Äôs ‚Äėvery capable and experienced‚Äô group was significantly strengthened by the addition of a team from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, including Charles Rule, Andrew Forman, Joseph Bial and Jonathan Kanter. The firm particularly stands out in global investigations involving multiple regulators. Highlights included handling Libor and ISDAfix investigations (and related civil litigation) for Deutsche Bank, and acting for Europe Chemi-Con in a European Commission investigation into price-fixing in the capacitors industry. Kenneth Gallo, Aidan Synnott in New York and Joseph Simons are also recommended.

Civil litigation/class actions

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP‚Äôs team, comprising ‚Äėexcellent business lawyers‚Äô, stands out for high-value, bet-the-company litigation. Aidan Synnott (New York) and Joseph Simons are among several ‚Äėtop-level litigators with experience across a wide range of issues‚Äô. Illustrative of the firm‚Äôs stellar reputation in antitrust litigation, it has longstanding relationships with notable clients such as Becton, Dickinson and Company and The Nielsen Company. Charles Rule, who joined the firm along with a team of other antitrust lawyers from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, worked with Kenneth Gallo and various other team members to represent Cigna in a lawsuit brought by the DOJ and several states arising from its proposed $54bn merger with Anthem. The firm also advised the same client on Aetna‚Äôs proposed $37bn acquisition of Humana, which was challenged by the DOJ and several states. Another highlight for the firm included representing Sharp Corporation and Sharp Electronics in opt-out litigation initiated by Motorola Mobility, arising from the client‚Äôs alleged involvement in a global cartel connected with liquid crystal displays. David Bernick (New York) made partner. Named lawyers are based in Washington DC except where otherwise specified.

Merger control

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP‚Äôs diverse practice spans advisory work, pre-merger filings and second request investigations, as well as merger litigation. Moses Silverman and Aidan Synnott acted for Pace Plc in the DOJ‚Äôs investigation into the client‚Äôs proposed $2.1bn takeover by ARRIS, which was cleared in December 2015. In 2016, the sizable team was strengthened by the arrival in Washington DC of partners Charles Rule, Joseph Bial, Andrew Forman, Jonathan Kanter and a group of other lawyers from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP. Rule and Kanter are currently handling various antitrust matters for Monsanto arising from its $66bn takeover by Bayer, which recently included a regulatory review and a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Joseph Simons (Washington DC) and Jacqueline Rubin are other notable individuals. Unless otherwise stated, named attorneys are based in New York.

United States: Dispute resolution

Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense

The ‚Äėvery impressive‚Äô Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is ‚Äėat the forefront of some of the country‚Äôs biggest investigations‚Äô. The firm regularly acts for Citigroup and represented Deutsche Bank in Libor-related investigations spanning several jurisdictions. It also represented Anthony Chiasson in his successful appeal against an insider trading conviction and acted for SAC Capital and Steve Cohen in an investigation into alleged insider trading. Other clients include the NFL, 21st Century Fox and JPMorgan Chase. Brad Karp chairs the firm, while the New York-based white-collar and regulatory defense practice is chaired by Theodore Wells, Roberto Finzi, Michele Hirshman and Lorin Reisner. In Washington DC, Mark Mendelsohn and Alex Young Oh chair the anti-corruption and FCPA practice. Roberto Gonzalez joined that office in January 2016 after serving as deputy general counsel of the Treasury Department.

Financial services: litigation

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP handles high-stakes litigation, regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings on behalf a varied mix of financial services clients, including JPMorgan Chase, SAC Capital and iStar Financial. Brad Karp continues to represent Citigroup in financial crisis-related disputes and recently secured the dismissal of a ‚Äėholder‚Äô claim seeking damages in excess of $800m as a result of the bank‚Äôs alleged misrepresentation of its exposure to subprime-related assets. The firm also recently concluded its long-running representation of Deutsche Bank following the bank‚Äôs $2.5bn settlement with authorities in the US and UK with regard to the multi-jurisdictional investigation into Libor manipulation. In another victory on behalf of the German bank, using a limitation period defense, the firm successfully secured the dismissal of claims brought by Aozora Bank that it had deliberately collateralized a CDO in which the Japanese bank had invested with RMBS that it believed were likely to decline in value. Formerly deputy director of enforcement at the SEC Walter Ricciardi has high credibility before the agencies and as well as playing a prominent role in the Deutsche Bank Libor settlement, is also representing Virtu Financial in litigation and regulatory and investigative matters concerning high-frequency trading. Daniel Kramer‚Äôs ‚Äėwell-established reputation for both ethical and intellectual integrity translates into a deep and instant credibility with regulators and opposing counsel, making his representation of client interests that much more effective‚Äô. Other recommended partners include Richard Rosen, Bruce Birenboim and Washington DC-based Charles Davidow.

General commercial disputes

A ‚Äėgo-to New York law firm for litigation and regulatory investigations‚Äô, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP ‚Äėprovides the highest level of service‚Äô to a broad range of clients across the financial services, technology, media, sports, pharmaceutical and energy sectors. ‚ÄėWell-connected‚Äô firm chair Brad Karp maintains a broad commercial and securities litigation practice; he and Bruce Birenboim and Elizabeth Sacksteder are defending AXA Equitable Life Insurance in a putative class action in the Southern District of New York that followed a 2013 report by the New York State Department of Financial Services on captive reinsurance. Time Warner Cable is another significant client; teams led by Jay Cohen, Jacqueline Rubin and Aidan Synnott have been representing it in two antitrust investigations and a shareholder dispute concerning corporate transactions. Leslie Fagen and Jack Baughman are also recommended. All partners are based in New York.

Leading trial lawyers

Theodore Wells - Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP Theodore Wells co-chairs the litigation and white-collar and regulatory defense departments from New York. Highlights included advising key firm client the National Football League (NFL) on an internal investigation into alleged tampering of game-day balls used by the New England Patriots and representing the same client in lawsuits brought by over 5,000 former NFL players - including an MDL - arising from the alleged long-term effects of concussions sustained during their professional football careers.

Jay Cohen - Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP Jay Cohen in New York is a reputable name among media and creative clients. Recent highlights include securing the dismissal of an FCC administrative action alleging unlawful discrimination brought by Liberman Broadcasting against client Comcast, and defending Harlequin Enterprises in a royalty class action brought by authors of romance novels claiming unfair compensation for the digitalization of their works written between 1990 and 2004. Another client is Time Warner Cable, which Cohen defended in an action brought by the company‚Äôs shareholders involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duties by the directors in relation to the merger of Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications.

Brad Karp - Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP Brad Karp in New York is renowned for his expertise in sports law and special investigations. Karp defended the NFL against lawsuits filed by over 5,000 former NFL players alleging concussions sustained during their professional careers had long-term effects. He acted for the defendant in Ross v AXA Life Insurance, a putative class action brought by policyholders claiming a private right of action for ‚Äėpersons aggrieved‚Äô by an insurer‚Äôs misrepresentation of its financial condition.

M&A: litigation: defense

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP ‚Äėhas very talented people in its Delaware office‚Äô and is ‚Äėalways at the top of the M&A litigation arena, a worthy adversary that regularly produces top-quality legal work‚Äô. Stephen Lamb in Wilmington, who served as vice chancellor in the Delaware Court of Chancery before joining the firm in 2009, and New York-based Daniel Kramer secured the dismissal of a breach of fiduciary duty claim for ADT Corporation. Also in New York are Richard Rosen, who acted for Apollo Global Management in a case regarding its $1.14bn going-private deal; Jay Cohen, who represented Time Warner Cable in a breach of fiduciary action concerning negotiations for its merger with Charter Communications; and Lewis Clayton, who is ‚Äėa consummate leader of bet-the-company cases‚Äô and advised CORE Media Group on an appraisal case in which the going-private deal price was confirmed as fair value. Clients also recommend ‚Äėyoung, hardworking partner‚Äô Geoff Chepiga.

Securities litigation: defense

‚ÄėA leading firm for Wall Street banks‚Äô, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP‚Äôs New York-based team is ‚Äėwithout peer on all criteria in litigation and regulatory matters, certainly a firm that is at the top table‚Äô. The firm has ‚Äėextraordinary depth in litigation generally and in securities litigation specifically‚Äô. Firm chair Brad Karp (who ‚Äėalways has a good read on the merits of a case‚Äô), Susanna Buergel and Richard Rosen secured the dismissal of an $800m claim against Citigroup for fraud and negligent misrepresentation of subprime mortgage exposure. ‚ÄėWe trust his judgment implicitly‚Äô say clients of ‚Äė‚Äúne plus ultra‚ÄĚ litigator‚Äô Daniel Kramer, who ‚Äėhas great, practical business sense‚Äô. He acted for ADT Corporation in securing the dismissal of a stock-drop case filed in Florida. Martin Flumenbaum, Andrew Ehrlich and Claudia Hammerman are also recommended. Charles Davidow in Washington DC is highly recommended for both enforcement work and litigation. He played a key role in defending Merck in cases relating to its pain medication Vioxx. The firm has also played a key role in cases arising from the alleged manipulation of financial benchmarks and settled a key Libor-related matter for Deutsche Bank.

Capital markets: equity offerings

The ‚Äėpractical and inventive‚Äô New York-based group at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP attracts praise for its ‚Äėextremely competent and proficient lawyers‚Äô, who have ‚Äėimpressive market knowledge‚Äô. Capital markets co-head John Kennedy is a widely respected name, who advised Virtu Financial on its $143m offering. In another work highlight, Adam Givertz, who splits his time between New York and Toronto, acted for Canada‚Äôs Suncor Energy in its C$2.5bn offering. Among the firm‚Äôs work for underwriters, Tracey Zaccone advised Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and a major Canadian investment bank as lead underwriters on AquaVenture Holdings‚Äô $134.6m IPO. Monica Thurmond, Lawrence Wee and ‚Äėremarkably good‚Äô department co-lead Gregory Ezring are also recommended.

Capital markets: global offerings

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is especially active acting for issuers, and has strong links to the Canadian market, where the firm recently advised mining company Teck Resources on a $1.25bn bond offering. The team also acted for the underwriters, including HSBC, JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank, in a series of bond offerings by TransCanada Pipelines totaling $3.5bn. Key partners in the New York office include Andrew Foley and Ted Maynard. The US team works closely with colleagues in the firm‚Äôs London, Toronto and Tokyo offices.

Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP‚Äôs ‚Äėcreative and highly technical team‚Äô is ‚Äėtop of mind for private equity issuers‚Äô, and it is also a firm of choice for companies in the telecoms, leisure, fashion and energy industries. Among private equity-related matters, Tracey Zaccone and the ‚Äėremarkably good‚Äô Gregory Ezring advised Prime Security Services Borrower and Prime Finance, portfolio companies of Apollo Global Management, on their $3.1bn offering of notes to fund the acquisition of ADT. Other work highlights saw Raphael Russo and John Kennedy assist Intelsat Jackson Holdings with its $1.2bn notes offering, and the ‚Äėimpressive‚Äô Monica Thurmond act for Quality Care Properties in its $750m offering of senior notes. Clients of the New York-based group also include AMN Healthcare, CEC Entertainment and McGraw-Hill Global Education.

Commercial lending

The ‚Äėexcellent‚Äô team at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP ‚Äėgoes above and beyond for its client base‚Äô, which is predominantly composed of borrowers. The New York-based practice has a number of highly respected individuals, including Gregory Ezring, Eric Goodison, Thomas de la Bastide, Brian Kim and Brad Finkelstein. On the private equity side, the firm acted for key client Apollo Global Management on the $15bn acquisition and financing of the ADT Corporation, as well as the $1.4bn financing for the concurrent acquisitions of AmQuip Crane Rental and Maxim Crane works. Other highlights included advising RegionalCare Hospital Partners on the $1.3bn financing linked to its merger with Capella Healthcare, while on the restructuring front it assisted the steering committee of first lien lenders on the $32bn bankruptcy of Texas Competitive Electric Holdings Company.

Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate

The bankruptcy and corporate reorganization team at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is appreciated by its clients for its ‚Äėunique and creative solutions and ability to go above and beyond‚Äô. Alongside head of practice Alan Kornberg and deputy head Brian Hermann, the recently promoted Jacob Adlerstein represented the ad hoc committee of certain first lien senior secured creditors in the Texas Competitive Electric Holdings Company Chapter 11. In another creditor-side engagement, Elizabeth McColm and Andrew Rosenberg represented the unsecured creditors‚Äô committee in the Quicksilver Resources bankruptcy and continued to represent an ad hoc group of senior unsecured creditors in the Chapter 11 of Paragon Offshore, which has operations in Brazil, Mexico, the North Sea and the Middle East. In another example of its cross-border expertise, the ‚Äėincredibly hands-on, commercial, efficient and client-service-oriented‚Äô team were US counsel to the ad hoc committee of senior noteholders and certain debtor-in-possession financing providers in the Pacific E&P Chapter 15 case. On the debtor-side, Kelley Cornish and Stephen Shimshak represented Walter Energy in all aspects of its Chapter 11 case, resulting in the discharge of over $4bn of secured and unsecured debt. All named lawyers are based in New York.

Structured finance

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP‚Äôs structured finance and securitization department specializes in securitizing novel asset classes including IP and energy assets, and is especially known for its work involving whole-business securitizations. Jordan Yarett advised Roark Capital Group, an affiliate of Arby‚Äôs Restaurant Group, on the $635m whole-business securitization of Arby‚Äôs restaurants in the US, Canada and other international jurisdictions. The team also continues to act for The Wendy‚Äôs Company regarding its $2.28bn whole-business securitization. In a unique transaction in the energy sector, Lawrence Wee helped lead a team that acted for Guggenheim Securities and RBC as lead underwriters in a $1.29bn nuclear asset-recovery bonds issuance by Duke Energy Florida Project Finance, citing one of the lowest rates ever on rate reduction bonds, for the purpose of covering retirement at one of the client‚Äôs nuclear plants. In the slightly less esoteric ABS space, the team advised Deutsche Bank Securities on the issuance of $321m of Secured Tower Revenue Notes, Series 2016-1, which were backed by over 1,500 tower sites in the US. Robert Zochowski is another active member of the department, which has also completed transactions involving media revenues and TV-distribution receivables. MidCap Financial, SBA Communication Corporation and Major League Baseball Trust are other key clients.

United States: Industry focus

Environment: transactional

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP‚Äôs ‚Äėexcellent‚Äô team ‚Äėalways goes above and beyond for its clients‚Äô, and advises on the full range of transactional matters, including large-scale mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings and corporate reorganizations. The New York-based group has acted for Noranda Aluminum Holding, a leading aluminum products producer, in several matters, including a $130m debt facility used to refinance its existing asset-based facility. In another highlight, the firm advised Walter Energy on the $3.1bn sale of its core mining and operating assets to a newly formed entity. Practice chair Gaines Gwathmey splits his time between litigation and transactional matters, and counsel William O‚ÄôBrien is the other key figure, advising public and private companies on acquisition deals.

Sport

‚ÄėOutstanding‚Äô firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP‚Äôs ‚Äėtop-notch‚Äô team handles heading-grabbing litigation and deals. Brad Karp led a team including Bruce Birenboim and Theodore Wells that represented the NFL in the main concussion MDL, which concluded with the denial of certiorari by the Supreme Court to a challenge to the settlement‚Äôs approval. Karp and Birenboim also secured the exclusion of Fifa from a case concerning head injuries in youth soccer - which is continuing against other defendants - on jurisdictional grounds. Joe Simons and Daniel Toal represented Major League Baseball (MLB) in a settled antitrust case brought by claimants who alleged that MLB Extra Innings and MLB.tv violate the Sherman Act by stopping teams broadcasting games themselves. Justin Hamill and Lynn Bayard advised WME IMG on its purchase of the UFC. The team is located in New York.

United States: Intellectual property

Copyright

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is especially noted for its litigation expertise in the music industry but also regularly handles copyright matters for clients across the wider media and entertainment sector. Key client ASCAP is being represented in several proceedings and negotiations over royalty rates. The team also represented Harlequin Enterprises Limited 90 in a class action brought by authors who published romance novels from 1990 to 2004 and claimed that they were unfairly compensated for the later e-book editions of their works. Other clients include Huffington Post and the National Music Publishers Association. Jay Cohen and Lynn Bayard in New York are recommended.

Patent litigation: full coverage

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP‚Äôs range of sector expertise includes pharmaceuticals, biotech, electronics and telecoms, among others, and the group frequently handles high-stakes patent litigation for major companies. Practice chair Nicholas Groombridge represents Amgen as plaintiff in numerous biosimilar matters against Sandoz, Apotex and Hospira, and also acts for Biogen in suits filed against several competitors regarding a patent covering Avonex, its blockbuster multiple sclerosis treatment. The New York-based team also includes Eric Alan Stone, who focuses on pharmaceutical and medical device-related cases, and Catherine Nyarady, who represented Edwards Lifesciences in a high-stakes trial against Medtronic regarding transcatheter heart valves. Kenneth Gallo is the key contact in Washington DC.

United States: Investment fund formation and management

Alternative/hedge funds

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP has a track record of advising on high-end, technically complex matters, making it a go-to firm for managers such as Apollo Global Management, Blackstone Alternative Asset Management and Paulson & Co, as well as institutional investors. Udi Grofman possesses ‚Äėa very rare commercial sensibility, obviating the need for so much of the wasteful dialectic‚Äô. Marco Masotti‚Äôs clients include Reservoir Capital, which it recently advised on its seed investment in Silver Ridge Macro Fund. Both individuals are based in New York.

Private equity funds

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP draws on ‚Äėa strong bench of excellent lawyers with strong technical expertise, good market knowledge and a practical approach‚Äô. The four-partner team handles a wide range of fund formation matters for heavyweight sponsors, including Apollo Global Management, which Marco Masotti and Michael Hong advised on a $750m special situations fund; Harvest Partners, which Hong and Masotti advised on a $2.2bn buyout fund and a $400m fund focused on junior debt and structured equity investments; and KKR, which Masotti advised on the formation of a $3.35bn special situations fund investing in companies undergoing restructuring. Also recommended are Amran Hussein, who continues to advise General Atlantic on its fundraising activities, and the very well-regarded Udi Grofman. All named individuals are based in New York.

United States: Labor and employment

ERISA litigation

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP specializes in high-profile cases and advises heavyweight clients such as JPMorgan Chase and ING. The practice was engaged by Citigroup and the fiduciaries of its pension plans to defend two stock-drop suits; Lewis Clayton and Brad Karp, who jointly lead the team, secured the dismissal of both actions. Robert Fleder and other team members defended Dave & Buster‚Äôs in a Section 510 putative class action related to the employer mandate under the ACA. Clayton and executive compensation and employee benefits expert Andrew Gaines advised Primerica on fiduciary regulation changes. All named partners are based in New York.

Employee benefits and executive compensation (transactions)

The executive compensation team at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP ‚Äėgoes above and beyond for its clients‚Äô and advises them on the creation and modification of executive incentives and change-of-control contracts. Robert Fleder heads the practice and assisted Walter Energy with all aspects of its Chapter 11 case, including the sale of all of its core mining and operating assets. Andrew Gaines advised on Time Warner‚Äôs $78.7bn merger with Charter Communications, and Lawrence Witdorchic worked on several transactions for Apollo Global Management. Other notable clients include DreamWorks, VICE, and Viacom. Named attorneys are based in New York.

United States: M&A/corporate and commercial

M&A: large deals ($1bn+)

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is ‚Äėoutstanding‚Äô, ‚Äėone of the elite‚Äô, ‚Äėtechnically excellent‚Äô and has ‚Äėgreat breadth and reach‚Äô. The firm has ‚Äėfantastic clients‚Äô and rose to greater prominence with the ‚Äėamazing hire‚Äô of Scott Barshay from Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in 2016; Barshay is hailed as being in ‚Äėpole position at the M&A bar‚Äô and brings an array of investment bank and corporate client relationships to a team that provides a ‚Äėbest-in-class service‚Äô, unrivaled ‚Äėindustry insight‚Äô, ‚Äėcommercial sensibilities‚Äô and ‚Äėdeal creativity‚Äô. Barshay and the team advised Alere on its $5.8bn acquisition by Abbott Laboratories, a deal that Abbott subsequently sought to terminate through a lawsuit. In other headline deals, the firm continued to advise Time Warner Cable on its $78.7bn merger with Charter Communications and represented Qualcomm in its $47bn acquisition of NXP Semiconductors. In addition, it advised Agrium, a Canada-based producer and distributor of agricultural products, on its $36bn merger of equals with Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan. The team benefits from the firm‚Äôs leading litigation and regulatory expertise and is noted for its strength in shareholder activism work, where it handles both the defense and activist investor sides. Other senior figures include Robert Schumer, who is another elite practitioner and led on the Time Warner Cable and Agrium deals, as well as John Scott, Taurie Zeitzer and Brian Finnegan, who are pivotal to the firm‚Äôs connection to marquee private equity sponsor Apollo Global Management. Ariel Deckelbaum is another key member of the team and Justin Hamill is an emerging talent, known for his expertise in entertainment having advised WME IMG Holdings on its acquisition of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Jeffrey Marell, Steven Williams and David Klein are also commended by clients. Former partner Toby Myerson left to launch advisory boutique Longsight Strategic Advisors.

Private equity buyouts

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP had a banner year in 2016, thanks partly to cornerstone big-ticket client Apollo being especially active in the buyout segment. Taurie Zeitzer has helped solidify the firm‚Äôs relationship with Apollo since joining from Kirkland & Ellis LLP in 2015. The firm, which ‚Äėgoes above and beyond for clients‚Äô, advised Apollo and portfolio company Protection 1 on their $15bn acquisition of ADT Corporation, which was one of the largest leveraged buyouts of recent years. The firm is also close to big-ticket funds General Atlantic and Oaktree Capital Management and a range of middle-market sponsors, such as CI Capital Partners, Kohlberg & Co, KPS Capital Partners, Oak Hill Capital Partners and TowerBrook; it also has a growing connection to Ontario Teachers‚Äô Pension Plan and Roark Capital. In addition, the arrival of new global head of M&A Scott Barshay from Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in 2016 provides a connection to 3G Capital. General Atlantic engaged the firm on a series of deals in 2016, including the $725m sale of portfolio company Aperture New Holdings to E*TRADE. It also advised KPS on a number of transactions, including its acquisition of Anchor Glass Container Corporation. Co-head of the M&A group Angelo Bonvino leads the firm‚Äôs relationship with Kohlberg & Co, KPS and Oak Hill along with fellow co-head Matthew Abbott, who leads the General Atlantic relationship and is central to the firm‚Äôs connection to Ontario Teachers‚Äô Pension Plan. Carl Reisner is the senior name in the team, John Scott is another key figure for Apollo, and Neil Goldman is also close to General Atlantic. All named partners are based in New York.

United States: Media, technology and telecoms

Media and entertainment

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP‚Äôs New York-based team covers a wide range of matters, including IP issues, M&A and litigation. Corporate department head Robert Schumer, Ariel Deckelbaum and practice deputy chair Justin Hamill are key names; Hamill recently advised WME IMG Holdings on its acquisition of Ultimate Fighting Championship and also acted for Vice Media in its joint venture with A+E Networks to launch Viceland, a new 24-hour cable channel. Other clients include DreamWorks Animation and Imagine Entertainment; Deckelbaum is advising the latter on an investment into the company by The Raine Group. Robert Zochowski is recommended for media financing mandates and practice head Charles Googe focuses on talent deals.

Telecoms and broadcast: transactional

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP‚Äôs ‚Äėsuperb‚Äô practice is highly active in the private equity space and advises a client roster that includes Oak Hill Capital Partners and Crestview Partners. Washington DC-based ‚Äėstrategic-thinker‚Äô and practice co-head Patrick Campbell is advising the latter on its $125m acquisition of a stake in Colorado-based broadband provider Wide Open West from Avista Capital Partners. Co-head Bruce Gutenplan in New York is praised by clients as ‚Äėthe best attorney in the tower industry‚Äô and recently assisted TowerCo Holdings with the $244m sale of 253 wireless communications towers and related assets to Grain Infrastructure Fund II. Other highlights included acting for the Investors of ExteNet in its $1bn recapitalization, and handling Cable & Wireless Communications‚Äô $1.9bn acquisition of Columbus International. Satellite work is also a key strength; Campbell is advising Virgin Galactic on multiple satellite launch services agreements and is acting for IntelSat in its joint venture agreement with SKY Perfect JSAT Group.

United States: Tax

International tax

Richard Bronstein and Jeffrey Samuels lead the ‚Äėbrilliant, responsive and keenly commercial‚Äô international tax practice at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, which is based out of New York. Samuels, ‚Äėa legend of the tax Bar‚Äô, recently worked on Time Warner Cable‚Äôs $78.7bn merger with Charter Communications, while Scott Sontag (who is ‚Äėextremely strong‚Äô) advised Ontario Teachers‚Äô Pension Plan during its investments in TierPoint and FarmTrust. David Mayo assisted Italy-based Exor with its $6.9bn successful cash bid for PartnerRe and supported UK-headquartered Mott MacDonald Group in separating its joint venture with Hatch. Other clients include Kohlberg & Company, MidCap Financial and Norwegian Cruise Line.

US taxes: non-contentious

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP‚Äôs lawyers are ‚Äėsignificant players in the development of innovative tax solutions‚Äô and are known for ‚Äėcreating appropriate structures to maximize the achievement of responsible tax advantages for clients‚Äô. In an illustration of the firm‚Äôs ability to devise unique approaches to complex tax issues, Brad Okun and Richard Bronstein are leading the team advising Texas Competitive Electric on its Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which involves a tax-free G reorganization with embedded taxable transactions. Transactional tax highlights included Jeffrey Samuels‚Äô advice to Time Warner Cable on the tax structuring aspects of the client‚Äôs $78.7bn merger with Charter Communications. Okun and Patrick Karsnitz were the leading names advising Apollo Global Management in tax matters connected to several associated fund corporations with a matter value well above $15bn. In a different mandate, the group acted for Cable & Wireless Communication in relation to its acquisition of Liberty Global in a $7.4bn operation. Other key clients include General Atlantic, Oaktree Capital, VICE Media and TowerBrook Capital. David Sicular and David Mayo are also recommended.

If you have successfully acquired a UK Sponsor Licence and are looking to recruit workers from overseas in 2018, you need to understand that the Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) is an imperative part of UK Sponsor Licence holder‚Äôs duties. When recruiting talent from outside the EEA , ensuring that every RLMT is correctly undertaken is a crucial step in the hiring process. Fortunately, by engaging one of London‚Äôs best immigration solicitors , you can ensure that you conduct a fully compliant RLMT. In fact, an immigration solicitor can manage the entire process on your behalf, leaving you or your HR team free to concentrate on other parts of the business.

If you want to move countries with your children after a divorce , it is not as simple as just jumping on a plane and waving goodbye to your old life. Regardless of your reasons for wanting to relocate with your children after a divorce , your ex-spouse may be able to prevent you from moving.

The Philippine chapter of the Getting the Deal Through: Cybersecurity 2018 was contributed by SyCipLaw partner Rose Marie M. King-Dominguez , with support from senior associate Ruben P. Acebedo II . The chapter provides answers to key questions on the legal framework, best practice, enforcement, threat detection and reporting, and update and trends.

The UK government has announced that ‚Äúas part of its ongoing commitment to welcome talented people from across the globe, and in recognition of the importance of these innovative industries to the UK‚ÄĚ, it is doubling the amount of¬† Tier 1 ¬†(Exceptional Talent) Visas it offers.

Our team has an
intrinsic understanding of the aspirations of those who come to the UK via the
Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa route. This is because we have dealt with so many extensive
applications and have taken the time to listen to our clients‚Äô stories. For most applicants, the ability to settle in
the UK is of utmost importance.

According to figures released by the Office of National Statistics, 114 UK Tier 1 Investor Visas were granted in the third quarter of this year, up from 85 in Q2; an increase of 34% on the quarter and up 247% since the same period last year.

Like everyone across the country, the London-based immigration lawyers OTS Solicitors are delighted at the news that Price Harry is engaged to American actress Meghan Markle, best known for her role in Suits and her humanitarian work. Ms Markle has announced she will become a British Citizen, and just to assure us that the same rules apply to the Royal Family as to ‚Äėnormal folk‚Äô, she will be ‚Äúworking towards obtaining citizenship‚ÄĚ over the next months/years.